Uneducated Fools
by jayni1000
Summary: Ianto is kidnapped. What more can I say? It's got a bit of everything. Fluff, angst, lots of beating on a certain Welshman. Main focus on Ianto. Rated M. Season 2, pre-Reset. Give it a try! :D Please review!
1. Chapter 1

_I don't own Torchwood or its characters._

_If you've read my other Torchwood story, this has nothing to do with it. It's set…somewhere before the Reset episode in Season 2. After my CoE fix-it story, I plan on completely ignoring CoE. It was a very good season, but I'm too hooked on my favorite couple to acknowledge it quite yet. I'm not knocking it as a season, just…living in denial. Don't judge me! :P_

_Alright, a few warnings. This chapter doesn't contain much that would deserve an M rating, but later chapters will. I tend to write some violent scenes into my stories, as I'm rather a sick puppy who enjoys beating the crap out of her favorite characters._

_Last but not least. Please review, good or bad! Reviews motivate me, so if you'd like to read more, please please please review. Feel free to tell me off for missing something, either way, I'd love to hear what you think. Alright, on to the story!_

TW

Ianto pulled his shirt on, buttoning it quickly. Jack was laying on the bed, watching him in awe. Ianto wore so many layers of clothing, and every time Jack watched him dress, he was shocked at how quickly and efficiently he could dress himself. It would've taken Jack an hour to look that…orderly. Ianto ran his fingers through his still-damp hair. Jack watched as he straightened his tie and buttoned one of the buttons on his jacket, quickly running his hands over his suit, looking down to make sure everything was in order. Ianto had moved some of his things into Jack's "cellar", as Ianto liked to call it. Jack had raised his eyebrow when he'd seen Ianto first bring in the small bag of personal items and the garment bag containing a couple suits. "Shut up, Jack," he'd snapped. "I'm tired of waking up an hour early just to go home and change." Jack had chuckled, secretly pleased that Ianto had felt comfortable enough with him to perform such a small but important step in any relationship.

Jack sat up, reaching towards Ianto, grabbing his arm. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

Ianto's face held a tiny bit of humor. "What is that, sir?" Jack always liked it when he called him sir.

"Got dressed so…" Jack growled. He moved to stand, and Ianto laughed, quickly climbing up the ladder, just avoiding Jack's hands.

He called down the entrance. "The others will be here soon, Jack." His voice changed, becoming the Ianto he was outside of Jack's bedroom. "I assume you'd like coffee at the meeting, sir?" He could see Jack's defeated face at the bottom of the ladder looking up at him, and cracked a smile.

Jack mumbled to himself, heading towards the shower. "I'd better have some hot water left!" he shouted towards the cellar entrance. He was rewarded with Ianto's reply. "You can punish me later, sir!" Jack smiled. He wouldn't mind a cold shower, then.

TW

Ianto walked into the conference room, carrying a tray laden with coffees. Jack hadn't arrived yet, and the three Torchwood members stopped talking immediately when Ianto opened the door.

He hesitated, knowing something was up, but began passing out coffees, realizing that they'd tell him whenever they felt like it. Tosh, surprisingly, was the first to pluck up her courage. "Ianto, we've got a question for you." Ianto raised his eyebrow, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. That was all the encouragement she needed. "So…you're the only one of us that's ever been down the hatch in Jack's office. What's it like?"

"Before you go getting any ideas, we want to know what's down there, NOT what you do down there," Owen jumped in.

Ianto looked extremely serious as he pulled out his chair to sit, but they could see the twinkle in his eye. "Sorry, classified I'm afraid."

The two girls groaned and Owen sipped on his coffee uncaringly. Jack pushed the door open, his coat billowing behind him as he strode over to his spot at the head of the table. "Alright, let's get this over with. Updates everyone?"

The team proceeded to go over all their discoveries this week. Ianto listened attentively, even when Gwen threw in her contributions, building them up to make them seem more than they actually were. They weren't exactly the best of friends, and Ianto had a feeling it had to do with her feelings for Jack. He didn't understand her. She was engaged to Rhys, had cheated on him with Owen, and now she was jealous of Ianto's relationship with Jack. He brought himself away from his thoughts, and back to the people around the table. They were all staring at him.

Gwen resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Your turn," she stated simply. Ianto cringed. He hated when she did this to him. She would purposely pick weeks when he'd spent all his time as the Tea Boy or manning the Tourist Information office to single him out, knowing he had nothing to contribute other than hours on end, cleaning up their messes and feeding them. Unappreciated house-wife came to mind.

They were still staring at him. "Working on a new coffee blend." He cleared his throat uncomfortably. Tosh looked excited, and Owen rolled his eyes. Gwen smirked, and Jack nudged his foot underneath the table. It was meant to comfort Ianto, but he just turned crimson. Jack quickly dismissed the meeting, and everyone headed out towards their work areas. Ianto grabbed his tray and cleared the mess they'd left on the table, on the verge of losing his calm, collected exterior.

Jack paused at the door, turning to face Ianto. "Want me to talk to her?"

"Nope, not a child, Jack," was all Ianto managed to say. He heard the door close behind him, and set the tray down roughly. Most days were fine, he knew that the teasing the Torchwood team incessantly tortured him with was, in general, meant as a joke. Well, perhaps not Gwen's. But she wasn't all bad, she had her shining moments. He took a deep breath and picked up the tray, heading toward the door. It had started off as such a good day, too.

TW

Ianto had headed down to the archive room shortly after the meeting in the conference room. He spent hours down there every day, but his work never seemed to finish. Up until his arrival, Torchwood had never been very good about cataloging and storing their alien artifacts. Jack had asked him to take over the project the first day he'd arrived, and he remembered the first day he'd come down here. The room was cluttered, reminding him of the cave Aladdin found the lamp in. Random things with bits of paper attached, describing what Torchwood thought each item did. Jack kept all the truly dangerous things locked away in his office, so Ianto had no problem going through each item, one at a time, cataloging it and filing them away in the shelves and filing cabinets he had set up (by himself). Gwen's voice came over his radio and he groaned. "Ianto, there are tourists in the Information Office. Did you forget your scanner?" He slammed his clipboard down, realizing that the device that alerted him whenever someone was close to the Tourist Information office had been left upstairs.

He put his hand to his ear, switching on his earpiece. "Sorry, on my way." He was met with silence on the other end. Dashing up the stairs, taking them two at a time, he was soon on his way past Owen's station. He heard a request for coffee from Owen as he bent over some test results. "Right away," Ianto said politely. He heard similar requests from Tosh and Gwen, neither of them looking up to check on him. "No problem." He continued on up to the information office, wanting to kick himself. Why did he have to be so damned polite all the time! He walked through the beads, reaching down to straighten his suit. "May I help you?" There was a woman facing one of the pamphlet racks, casually flipping through them. She turned to face him, a smile on her lips. She appeared to be just like the other tourists who occasionally showed up. Jeans, low cut t-shirt…well, very low cut t-shirt, a hoodie zipped a little less than halfway up. If Ianto hadn't been with Jack, she'd have been just his type, he observed casually.

"You're certainly dressed up to work in a place like this." Her voice was slightly flirtatious and he couldn't help but smile at the attempt.

"Yes, well…" Bullocks, he couldn't think of anything to say. He cleared his throat. "May I help you?" he repeated, rather pathetically.

A light laugh crossed her lips and she stepped a little closer to him, within arms-length. "Sorry, didn't mean to catch you off guard." She stepped a tiny bit closer, doing her best to look alluring.

It was his turn to laugh, but it quickly died away as she took yet another step. He almost fell backward, rather undignified compared to his usual self. He was having an off-day, apparently. Her hands reached out and grabbed his suit, steadying him. "Thanks," he said quickly and did his best to step away. Her hands held him in place. She pulled him slightly closer to her, doing her best to look up at him through her lashes, trying to make him show any sign of interest. Nothing like this had happened to him in a long time and he panicked. Before he could think of something more appropriate to say, he shot out the first thing that came to his mind. "My boyfriend will be along shortly," was all he managed to stammer out.

"Shit, I had no idea," she looked shocked and immediately removed her hands from his jacket.

"Oh, it's okay. It's not like I have a sign on my forehead." He relaxed slightly. He didn't consider himself 'gay' per-say. Jack was the first man he'd ever been with, and he was fairly certain he would be the only man. Well, he supposed it didn't matter either way, just depended on the person. So what did that make him? Bi? He looked at the girl and smiled, but it probably came out as more of a grimace. He saw disappointment flash across her eyes, quickly followed by embarrassment.

"I'd better go," she stammered. Her face was bright red and she looked like she was about to break into tears from embarrassment. She turned and rushed out of the building. Ianto hesitated a moment, unsure what to do. He didn't feel right, letting her leave like that, but he wasn't sure what to say to her either. It had been a very awkward situation.

He stepped through the doorway, telling himself that if she was crying on the sidewalk, he'd kick himself. "Odd," he said as he saw her facing him about 30 feet away, a smile on her face. He heard someone move behind him, and before he could react a damp cloth was pressed over his mouth and nose, and strong arms were wrapped around his torso, holding his arms at his side. He smelled chemicals, his vision becoming more and more blurry. The last thing he saw was the woman, still standing there smiling at him. Damn good acting, he thought to himself. The world went blank.

TW

_Let me know what you think, and if you're interested in the next chapter! Enjoy!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Don't own Torchwood or its characters. I just feel free to abuse the heck out of them…_

TW

Ianto woke up slowly, eyes adjusting to the gloom surrounding him. He could hear voices near him, low, too quiet for him to make out what they were saying. He grimaced when he tried to move, realizing his hands were bound behind him, tied together and pressed against a cold pipe. He tried to pull away, finding his neck was also bound to a pipe. A gag was in his mouth, muffling the cry of pain as the leather strap around his neck tightened. The more he pulled away from the pipe, the tighter it got. Soon it was digging into his skin and he stopped, breathing heavily. He was tied in a sitting position, his legs straight out in front of him and he felt another strap securing his ankles together. Great, he thought to himself. I was already having a crap day.

Who had taken him? Some sort of alien? Some old enemy of Jack's, bent on revenge? He peered into the darkness, toward the tiny lantern his captors were huddled around. They appeared human, but appearances were often deceiving. He could count three. Two men, one woman. He recognized the hoodie on her, and his memories came back. The tourist in the shop, her smile as she watched him being taken. He started to panic, but remembered Jack. Torchwood would already be tracking him down. Ianto wondered how long he'd been unconscious. He peered into the darkness when he realized that the low voices had become silent. The woman approached carrying the lantern, followed closely by her two colleagues.

"If I remove the gag, will you promise not to yell for help? No one can hear you."

Ianto felt a lump in his throat, and his stomach started doing flips. He didn't move.

"Can you hear me?" He nodded. "Do you promise not to scream?" He shook his head no and a smirk parted her lips slightly. Dammit, he thought to himself. He felt like such a coward, but he couldn't help being terrified. "Well," her voice filled with hatred, "if you do scream or yell or say one word without being asked to, these two will shut you up. Am I understood?" Ianto nodded, and the woman removed the gag. He bit his tongue, wanting to ask them who they were, but remembering her threat. Jack would've asked, as would Owen, Tosh or Gwen, damn the consequences. He couldn't help being ashamed of himself, but he held his tongue. Just hold out until Jack gets here. One of the men whispered to her and she nodded.

"We need you to do something for us. There's something inside one of your vaults. Torchwood took it away from us, and we need you to get it back for us." Ianto just stared at her. She held a piece of paper in front of his face, bringing the lantern up so he could see what was drawn on it. "Do you recognize it?" He lied, shaking his head no. He had catalogued it earlier today. An appearance manipulator, it let the wearer appear as anything that the manipulator had come into close proximity with. His denial earned him a rough kick in the side from the man on the left, and he grimaced as the neck strap tightened. His side ached and he could feel a cracked rib as he breathed. "Do you recognize it?" she repeated.

"No." He may not be as brave as Jack, but he knew when he should lie. The man's foot came down on Ianto's knee and he jerked in pain. "One more of those to your knee and you might break something. Do you recognize it?" He shook his head, grimacing as he saw the man raising his foot. "That's enough, I believe him." Thank God. "Will you be able to find it?" The man on the right stepped forward, standing extremely close to Ianto, looming over him.

"Maybe, I don't know." A kick to his other side. "Yes, probably," he amended.

The woman's voice continued. "Good, my colleagues will give you instructions on the way back to Cardiff."

"I said I could find it, I didn't say I would." He'd earned a kick to the stomach, and blood leaked slowly from his mouth. The woman laughed merrily, which scared Ianto more than the kicks he'd received. "They're already looking for me. They'll find me and stop you." The woman looked at the man to her right. He pulled out a device from his pocket, hitting a few buttons. He shook his head at her.

"They haven't even noticed you're missing yet. Why do you think we picked you?"

TW

Ianto stood outside the Information Office and brushed himself off. There was dust on his suit, and if he was going to pull this off, no one could know that anything was wrong. He re-buttoned the top few buttons to his shirt and straightened his tie, covering the red marks that had been left by the leather straps. He pulled his shirt sleeves forward as far as they could, again covering the red marks. He took a deep breath, praying that something would happen to save him. He could feel the tiny explosive device they had rather painfully sewn into the skin of his stomach. It was a thin strip of a material he didn't recognize. The two men had held him down while the woman had sewn it onto him with a needle and thread. It was a good thing he was wearing a dark suit, because blood soaking through would definitely tip off someone in the Hub. If they even noticed, he thought to himself. He'd been gone for two hours, and apparently no one had noticed, not even Jack. He tried to hide the limp from when the man had stepped on his knee, and did his best to stand up straight. He could feel the broken rib every time he took a breath. They had planted a small video camera somewhere on him, he still wasn't sure where. He looked around the front of his suit and caught sight of the tie clip. It wasn't his. They'd told him if they lost video feed for any reason, or saw him tipping off anyone, they'd hit the detonator.

Ianto made his way downstairs, starting to take a deep breath to calm himself, but cut it short. His broken rib was going to be a problem. He made his first stop at the coffee maker, trying his best to act normally. Soon he had four cups of steaming hot coffee on a tray and was doing his rounds. Tosh thanked him politely, keeping her eyes on the computer screen in front of her. Gwen took her cup, not saying anything. He handed Owen his cup. The only response he received was a quick, "Took you long enough, Tea Boy." If circumstances had been different, Ianto might've laughed. But things as they were, he responded with a "Sorry" and headed towards Jack's office. This would be the tough one. Jack didn't ignore him like everyone else did.

He went up the stairs slowly, careful not to spill the coffee. He reached Jack's door and knocked. "Come in!"

"Coffee, sir," Ianto stated in his most butler-like voice.

"Hey, Yan, where have you been? Archives?"

Ianto composed himself as he handed Jack his coffee. "Yes, archives." He turned to walk out, praying that Jack would let him go.

"Hey, about earlier with Gwen. She doesn't mean anything by it, you know that, right?"

"Trust me, I'm over it," Ianto stated simply.

Jack stood up and walked around his desk, an impish grin on his face. "Ya know, that cold shower this morning was pretty brutal. I might have to take you up on your offer a little sooner than I'd planned." Ianto tried to remember what had happened. Oh, right. Punishment. He didn't have time for this. They'd given him one and a half hours. Jack leaned in and planted a kiss on Ianto's lips, circling his arm around his waist. Ianto jumped as Jack's arm touched his ribs and he pulled away from the embrace. "What's wrong?" Jack's face grew concerned, and Ianto prayed he didn't blow up right then and there.

"Nothing, Jack. I've just got to get back down to the Archives." Jack's face relaxed a little, and Ianto continued, doing his best to sound like his usual self. "Tonight then, sir?" A smile spread across Jack's face.

"Tonight." Ianto headed down toward the Archives, praying he would be alive to keep that promise.

Ianto walked through the Archives room, straight toward the file cabinet that held the Appearance Manipulator. It was small, designed to be slipped over someone's wrist. He stuffed it into his pocket and headed upstairs. He did his best to avoid scanning the rest of the room with the video camera attached to him, wanting to keep their knowledge of Torchwood to a minimum. He glanced down at his watch. Damn, coffee had taken longer than he'd expected. He'd already used up 45 minutes…half his allotted time. That meant he had 45 minutes to get past everyone and hop into the van waiting a five minute walk away. Maybe he would survive this.

He continued up the stairs and nearly bumped into Jack on his way down. Jack smiled at him. "Thought I could keep you company down here."

Ianto leaned against the wall, trying to be discrete about it. His knee ached and his side throbbed. He did his best to keep his breathing steady. "You hate it down here."

"Hey, it's not about where you are, it's about the company you're in."

"I was just on my way to make some more coffee."

"You just brought us coffee."

"Yes, well, an army marches on its stomach?"

Jack's face held a hint of concern again. "Ianto, did I do something wrong? Are you avoiding me? You have an 'I'm off to make coffee' face, and that wasn't the face you were wearing when I ran into you."

"I wasn't aware of that, sir." Ianto tried frantically to think of a way to wipe the concern off Jack's face. He could feel the explosive strip heating up, a warning from his kidnappers. He was getting desperate. Luckily there was one thing that always brightened Jack's mood. "You're right, sir. I wasn't on my way to make coffee. I thought maybe we could…" He cut himself off and looked down, slightly embarrassed.

"Right now?" Jack asked, disbelief clear in his voice. Ianto never wanted to do anything, and he meant **anything**, during working hours. Jack's face brightened up immediately and Ianto said a silent prayer of thanks as the strip on his stomach cooled down.

"Well sir, I'm not suggesting anything much. Just maybe a little more of…when I brought you your coffee." Jack didn't need to be invited twice. Soon Ianto was pressed against the wall in the stairway, Jack all over him. Ianto could barely contain the scream that tried to come to the surface. Jack was smashed up against him, and Ianto was finding it hard to breath. His ribs hurt like hell, but he had to deal with it. He put his arm up behind Jack's head, glancing at his watch. Thirty minutes left. Jack pulled back and smiled at Ianto, obviously pleased that he'd loosened up enough to allow something like this at work.

"You okay? Seem a little tense." He was still smiling though, and Ianto smiled back. Just a little longer and Jack wouldn't suspect anything when Ianto would suggest heading back to work. He pulled Jack's face closer, kissing him again. Jack's hands worked their way down his chest. Ianto's blood froze as he felt Jack tense. Jack tried to pull away, but Ianto stayed with him, continuing the embrace Jack was clearly trying to free himself from. Ianto reached down and grabbed Jack's hand, searching it for what had made Jack freeze. There was blood on his hand. Ianto's heart beat wildly, but he didn't break his kiss with Jack. Ianto pulled Jack's hand behind him, wiping the blood off onto the back of his suit. He had no way of knowing if the Tie Clip had audio capabilities as well, and he didn't want to risk it. By now Jack new for sure something was wrong. Ianto hadn't stopped kissing him, and Jack slowly worked his mouth, his eyes open, watching Ianto's fear-filled eyes. Jack did his very best to look reassuring. Ianto finally pulled away, not breaking eye contact. He smiled immediately and Jack followed suit.

"We'd better get back to work, sir. The others might suspect something is up." Jack pretended to pout a little before agreeing. Ianto was relieved that he was playing along.

"Coffee later?" Jack's voice was calm and collected.

"Yep."

"Where are you heading?"

Ianto scrounged for something to say. "I think I'll head to lunch. Do you need me to pick up anything for you, sir?"

"Sure, you know what I like." Jack smiled at him and winked as they parted ways, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

Ianto passed by the others unnoticed. Glancing down at his watch he saw that he only had fifteen minutes left. He rushed out of the Information Office and headed the direction they'd told him to go. He was relieved that Jack hadn't given him away, and even more relieved to know that the team was working to help him…finally.

TW

_Aww, poor Ianto! If you're reading this please let me know what you think. This is only my second Torchwood fic ever, so I may not have the characterizations quite down. Oh, and if you can't tell, I'm not a Gwen fan. My first fic I did my very best to make her seem like a nice person, but I decided to vent my feelings about her on this story, as it fits in nicely with the storyline. _

_This is me begging for reviews, by the way. I'm not beneath begging. *begs some more* They don't have to be nice reviews, you can yell at me for whatever mistakes I made. :D_


	3. Chapter 3

_Don't own Torchwood or its characters._

TW

Ianto was lying on the bottom of the van, cringing every time they hit a bump in the road. He had been trying to pay attention to where they were heading, counting how many left turns and right turns, but he'd lost count. It was hard to concentrate. Each jolt of the van sent pain through his body, his ribs aching miserably. He still had no idea who his captors were. The two men were in the front seat and the woman was a few feet away, looking at the object he'd stolen from Torchwood. She rotated it slowly in her fingers. Ianto sat up, leaning against the side of the van. They hadn't tied him up yet and he was relieved.

"So," she smiled as she spoke. "I forgot to thank you for the video feed. Very unlike Jack to be so…gentle." Her eyes closed as she leaned her head back, and Ianto moved toward her as quietly as he could. Before he got more than a foot, she had a gun aimed between his eyes, her head still leaning against the wall of the van, eyes closed. "Back up." He obeyed quickly, finally getting the nerves to speak.

"You know him?"

She nodded. "I do. The two idiots driving don't. They signed on as muscle when I told them about you." Her face twisted into a threatening smile and Ianto couldn't help himself from asking.

"Told them about me?" He did his best to sound confident but failed miserably.

"Yep. Sorry about that, by the way. I needed a couple of guys to help me out and close-minded idiots are usually the easiest to control. It's nothing personal."

Ianto frowned, dwelling on the phrase 'close-minded idiots'. He didn't like the sound of it, but decided to keep the conversation going as long as he could. "Not a problem." He waited, hoping she would say something else. It didn't appear that she would, so he sat quietly. They drove for hours, twisting and turning down so many roads he had no idea where they were.

Ianto's thoughts took him far away, back to the Hub. He wondered if Tosh had managed to follow him on the CCTV. Knowing Tosh she had, but hopefully the team managed to start trailing the van in the SUV before they'd exited the city. He trusted Jack, but as much as he'd like to believe he could, Jack couldn't save everyone. He'd signed up for Torchwood, knowing full-well that even as the Tea Boy, chances are he wouldn't live to see thirty. After losing Lisa he'd stopped caring about that. It hadn't really mattered to him, nothing had. But now he had Jack. The man had given Ianto reason to live again, reason to heal. And of course it was because of Jack that he still worked for Torchwood, putting his life on the line whenever the need arose. Ianto had never thought of himself as a field agent, and was more than willing to perform whatever tasks needed done around the Hub. But every time Jack had sent Ianto on a mission, he'd never questioned it. He did his duty, whether that duty was serving coffee or stepping into harm's way taking down some alien threat.

He felt them slowing down, rolling to a stop. The door was flung open and Ianto could see that it was the dead of night now. He squinted, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever was outside. Trees, that was all he could make out.

The woman stepped out of the van quickly, turning to meet Ianto's eyes. "Like I said, nothing personal. It was a business arrangement." The two men pulled Ianto out of the van, smashing his back onto the wet ground. They ripped his jacket off, throwing it to the side and lifted up his shirt, ripping it with their roughness. The woman bent over him, reaching down to rip off the explosive strip. Ianto screamed as the threads pulled open his skin. "All yours, boys." She turned and walked towards a car parked nearby, quickly hopping into the driver's seat and speeding down the road. The men yanked him to his knees, bending him over and fastening his hands once more behind his back. He knelt in the dirt, looking up at them, wondering what would happen next.

To his surprise, the men glanced at each other. The bigger of the two questioned the other. "What now?" The smaller one looked at Ianto, licking his lips. Ianto could see the look in his eyes and he jumped to his feet, lunging past them, trying to get away. The bigger one recovered quickly, faster than Ianto had given him credit for. Soon he was held in a vice grip, arms circling his chest, pulling him back towards the van. Ianto yelled and kicked, doing everything he could to free himself. He was shoved roughly back into the van and he turned to face the open door. Ianto's fear was gone, replaced with hate. He'd seen what was in the man's eyes. He'd seen a tiny bit of it in so many people's eyes. Any time he and Jack kissed in public, or did something as simple as holding hands, he'd seen it. Ianto wasn't frightened any more, he was just angry.

"Uneducated fools," he spat as the door slammed shut.

TW

Jack sped down the road, Gwen in the passenger seat and Owen in the back. They'd lost track of the van fifteen minutes ago, and Tosh was re-directing a satellite. The radio crackled and her voice sounded over their earpieces. "Looks like they've split up. The van stopped 5 miles ahead of you. 60 seconds later a car left, and 60 seconds after that the van left, going opposite directions." Jack swore and stepped on the gas some more.

"Which one is he in?"

"I can't tell. You're in the middle of nowhere, I was lucky to see that much. There's no thermal imaging satellites aimed in your direction, and it's pitch black."

"Dammit, Tosh, which one do we follow!" Jack knew it wasn't Tosh's fault, but he couldn't help himself.

There was silence for a few seconds. "I'm sorry Jack, I have no idea."

Owen's voice cut in. "Chances are whatever Ianto took from the Hub got switched to the car, it's what I'd do. I'd also bring Ianto along as insurance…but that's just me. Not exactly a master criminal."

"Or they could split them up, hoping we'd follow Ianto while they got away with whatever they took. There's no way to know." Gwen's voice was quiet.

Jack cursed, hoping he was making the right decision. Either way, Ianto could handle himself. "Tosh, we're going after the car. Can you track them both?"

"I'll do my best. Jack…" she stopped talking, clearly not wanting to say what was on her mind.

"Spit it out, Tosh."

"You may want to stop and search the area where the van stopped. It's possible he's not in either vehicle."

Jack smashed his fist into the steering wheel, and Owen replied for him. "Will do, Tosh." He pulled over when Tosh indicated and stepped out of the SUV, pulling his coat around him. The three teammates pulled out their flashlights, covering the surrounding area quickly.

"Jack!" Gwen called out, her flashlight beam directed towards some dark fabric lying on the ground. Jack was beside her in an instant, reaching down to pick it up, recognizing it instantly. He had watched Ianto put it on this morning. "Jack," she said quietly, placing her hand on his shoulder, doing her best to be comforting. He shrugged it off, turning back towards the SUV, the jacket held tightly in his hand.

"Doesn't change anything. We still don't know what happened."

TW

Well, there's Chapter 3! Hopefully everybody enjoyed it. I'm slightly out of it…not feeling too well, so apologies if it isn't my best work yet. Thank you all for the reviews, and I'll do my best to respond to each one. Keep them coming! Oh, and I have a plot mapped out in my head, but feel free to make suggestions/requests. :P


	4. Chapter 4

_Thanks again for the reviews! If I missed one and didn't get a reply back to you, I apologize. Quiet Time, you might want to skip some of this chapter. :P But I don't describe anything in detail yet, so it'll probably be fine._

_I do not own Torchwood or its characters. _

_[Here is a warning. I use a derogatory term towards homosexuals in this story. I really want the two men who kidnapped Ianto to be completely hateable. Just know that I absolutely HATE the word, and I found it very hard just to type. It's meant to show that there are still idiots in this world. Close-minded idiots. When I was young, I remember my uncle coming to visit. He told my sisters and I about how he had seen two men holding hands in the grocery store and had walked straight up to them, punching one in the face. My uncle is a big guy, and I'm certain it couldn't have been pleasant. Everyone in my family praised him for it. I was around ten years old, so I kept my mouth shut. I haven't been able to forget that story, and over the years have distanced myself from my extremely close-minded relations. I am a female who prefers (emphasis on prefers, cause who knows, right?) the company of men. But there are still so many things that I can't share about my life with my family. For instance no, I'm not a 23-year-old virgin. And yes, I do live with my fiancé. When we get married, I still plan on having a career. I rarely speak to my family any more (save two of my sisters, who are lovely and very open-minded), and I truly hate that my views have distanced us. But I will never change my views, I hold onto them no matter what. Next time I hear a story like the one my Uncle told me, I'll have the courage to speak up. Wow, how did that all just come pouring out? I meant this paragraph to just be the first couple of sentences, not…a huge freakin' paragraph. My apologies. Thanks for allowing me to vent!]_

TW

Jack listened to Tosh's voice over the radio. "You're catching up. Go left on the next fork." He stepped on the gas pedal more, and the others glanced at each other. He was pushing 200 kph, and they weren't exactly on the express-way.

"Jack, I know you want to get him back, but just keep in mind the rest of us aren't indestructible, k?" Owen's voice drifted forward from the back seat.

Jack grunted, but didn't ease off the gas. They were heading further and further into nowhere and he hated things like this. He hated having to control himself when one of his team was in danger, especially Ianto Jones. He was hit with a fresh wave of guilt. "How did no one notice he was missing?"

Gwen replied angrily from the seat next to him. "Don't go there, Jack. We were all busy, including you. He's not a child, he should be able to take care of himself." She grimaced at what she'd just said, realizing it had come out wrong. She tried to correct herself but Jack shot her a look that shut her mouth immediately.

Owen cut in. "You know what she means, Jack. It was no one's fault."

Jack replied calmly, which frightened them. When he was calm in situations like these, they knew he was beyond angry. "He was kidnapped from the Hub. It was everyone's fault. Ianto is the only one who isn't to blame." He side-glanced at Gwen, who shrunk into her seat. Before either could reply he added, "How would you feel if it was Rhys?" At that moment Gwen realized that Jack had more feelings for Ianto than he'd ever let his team see. On the outside looking in, their relationship was sex, nothing more. Up until that moment, she'd never thought it could have been anything more.

Owen's voice cut through her thoughts. "Is that it?" He was sitting as far forward as he could. Jack nodded. The next few minutes were spent holding onto their seats for dear life as Jack swerved all over the road, doing his best to stop the other car. They could see the driver was a man, very plain looking, nothing special. Jack managed to pull up beside it, both cars barreling down the road, neither able to nudge ahead of the other. Owen pulled his gun, rolling down the window. He caught a glimpse of frustration in the driver's face as two shots rang out and the wheels on the right side of the car flattened. The car spun out, coming to a stop as it spun down the road, crashing into some trees. The SUV was stopped and Jack was the first one out, gun drawn and approaching the smoking car carefully. Gwen and Owen were quickly backing him up. Owen moved toward the trunk and Gwen stayed back, covering them both. Jack ripped the door open and dragged the driver out, slamming him onto the road, pulling the trunk release as he did it. Owen moved toward Jack, shaking his head.

Jack searched the man for weapons, taking out a pistol and several knives, tossing them towards Gwen. "Who are you?" His voice was filled with barely-controlled rage and the man smiled, turning to spit a mouthful of blood onto the ground.

"Let me go and I'll tell you where your boy is headed." His eyes contained no fear. He was as calm as if this had been a day at the beach.

Jack's mouth twisted into a victory smile as he reached down towards the man's wrist. "Trying to hide something?"

"Shit," the man spat out, trying to scramble away from Jack. Before he'd gone far, Jack was on top of him, pulling the Appearance Manipulator off the man's wrist. A second later he was sitting on top of a woman with long black hair, wearing a hoodie and jeans. She spat at him and he stood quickly, shock written all over his face.

"Sel?"

TW

"So what do we do with him?" the fat man asked. Ianto hadn't heard them mention names, so he gave them his own names. The larger one was 'fat man' and the smaller one, who appeared to be the more dominant of the two, was 'Idiot'.

Idiot looked across the room at Ianto, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor, hands tied behind his back. Ianto's breaths came in short bursts, the pain in his side increasing more and more each time. They had driven for a short time, pulling over at an abandoned farmhouse. They'd pulled him from the van and shoved him down into the basement. He couldn't help but notice that the floor was dirt and he frowned. This was an expensive suit. Oh well, he thought to himself. Doesn't matter now, anyway. I lost my jacket, and my shirt is beyond recovery. He held out a small hope for his tie.

Idiot's voice interrupted his thoughts. "No reason to change the plan. Have some fun with him then leave him. Who knows? Maybe we can beat the fag out of him." He descended the stairs, quickly followed by Fat Man. Ianto slid himself up the wall till he was in a standing position, breathing heavily. Perhaps if he were in a better state, the anger coursing through him would be enough to help him take down the two men, even with his hands tied behind his back. But as it was, just standing was requiring all of his focus. He used his anger to calm his face, glaring at the two men. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Idiot was carrying a rusted pipe in his hand. His stomach knotted and he braced himself. Idiot stopped a few feet away from him. "What do you think?" He directed the question at Ianto. "Do you think we can turn you straight?"

Ianto leaned his head back against the wall, not taking his eyes off Idiot. "You can fucking try."

TW

_My apologies again for sharing my family issues earlier. I'm leaving it there in case it'll shed some light on why I decided to put this twist on the story. Please review! Sorry it's short, but this seemed a good place to stop. _


	5. Chapter 5

_Thank you all for the wonderful reviews, they are much appreciated! Warning for this chapter: might not be pleasant to watch…I mean read…? Lots of Ianto whump. Sorry about that._

_Don't own Torchwood or its characters._

TW

Jack stood looking down at the woman, dumbfounded. "Jack?" Gwen's voice crept up behind him. He stammered, which was so very unlike the Jack that Owen and Gwen knew, they couldn't keep the shock from showing on their faces. Captain Jack Harkness was lost for words! He recovered after a few seconds, the shock still showing, but under control. He reached down and grabbed the woman's hand, pulling her up to stand.

"Gwen, Owen, this is Selinia."

"Selinia…who exactly?" Owen looked her up and down. He admired beauty, and he had no interest in hiding it.

The woman answered, reaching around to slap Jack on the ass. "Well, Jack appears to have changed his name. So you can just call me Mrs. Harkness." Gwen and Owen looked to Jack for answers, but he stood there staring at her, still unable to believe who was standing in front of him.

After a few minutes of awkward staring and silence, Jack managed to get one word out. "How?"

Selinia rolled her eyes at him. "I managed to track down John Hart, he told me about your little gang here. I assumed you would have my bracelet." She reached down and snatched the Appearance Manipulator out of his hands, meeting no resistance. Jack just looked down at her. So many questions were running through his head? How was she alive? Why was she here? He'd thought the Time Agency had shut down. As if reading his thoughts, she continued in a completely neutral voice. "I was one of the few Time Agents left. After you stole my bracelet and left me to die, I managed to escape from the planet. I've always been good at escapes, but then you remember that." She glanced at the two people standing behind Jack. "Ya, he took my bracelet and used it to help himself escape. He left his own wife behind. Guessing there are a lot of things you still don't know about my little sweet pea."

"You were dead."

"No, I **looked** like I was dead."

"I'm supposed to know the difference? How did that help you escape, anyway?"

"Got jettisoned out the garbage chute, then hitchhiked back to the Time Agency. I got back expecting to find you, but noooo…you went jet-setting around with some high-tech Time Lord and a blonde! A BLONDE!"

"So technically, you left me too. You didn't know I'd escaped."

"Beside the point," she snapped. "Ever since then I've been trying to track you down. John told me you were settled in the 21st century. Since when do you settle?"

"Beside the point," he shot back. "How long has it been?"

"Like you don't know."

"When are you going to stop thinking of time so linearly? I haven't seen you in…150 years? How long has it been for you?"

"Two years." She looked irritated now.

Jack chuckled. "You've lost your touch. It took you two whole years to find me?"

"Well what about you? One hundred and fifty years, and you don't look a day older!"

Jack frowned. "John didn't tell you about me?"

"No."

"Fine. Well, give me back the bracelet and leave. You don't belong here."

She looked offended and pushed her finger into his chest, getting very close to him. "You listen to me, Jack Harkness. I've spent two years trying to find you and get my bracelet back. The last thing I'm going to do is leave without it. We had something, Jack. We can find it again. We were the best team the Time Agency ever had, and this time around we won't have to split the profits! We can keep everything we get for ourselves. Live like royalty!" Her mouth was a hair's breadth from Jack's. "What do you say, Jack?"

"Why didn't you just ask for the bracelet back?" He backed away and raised an eyebrow coldly.

Anger returned to her eyes and she slammed her foot into the ground rather girlishly. "Damn it, Jack! Why can't you see what's right in front of your eyes? I'm offering you the chance of a lifetime! What happened to you!"

"A Time Lord and a blonde."

"So what, you're saying the little gang you run here collecting treasures is for…what? NOT profit?"

Jack raised his eyebrow. Before he could reply, Gwen jumped in. "We don't do any of this for profit! We keep people safe!"

Selinia chuckled. "Ew, Captain Jack the Hero! Sounds cute, but really. Why do you stay here, Jack? It can't be the company." She looked Gwen up and down scornfully. Her eyes alighted to Owen and she winked. "Okay, maybe they're not all-bad. Especially your secretary, he was something else. Sorry about him, by the way. Didn't think you'd mind."

Jack cringed. He'd forgotten about Ianto…again. Suddenly everything became clear. This mad woman in front of him had known him when he was a different person. She would never change, he didn't doubt it. She was the kind of thing Torchwood fought against, here in his new life. Ianto's face flashed in his memories and with two quick steps he had his hand around her neck, slamming her into the side of the car. He didn't hold back, and she gasped for air as the wind was knocked out of her.

"Where is he?" His voice was a low growl, menacing and dark.

"Why Jack Harkness!" she gasped. "Apparently I've misjudged you! It seems you actually do have feelings for someone."

His hand tightened around her neck and she clawed at his hand. Her struggles weakened and he repeated the question. "Where is he?"

She gasped for air and he loosened his hand. "Dead." The hand tightened again and she clawed at his neck.

"Where is he?"

She held out for as long as she could, but when she realized that there was a chance that he might actually kill her, she tried to speak. Jack loosened his grip and she took in a few deep breaths. "The two idiots that helped me get my bracelet back, they have him."

"Why?"

"Come on, Jack. Agency-training 101. If you need help, feed someone something they crave, and they're yours." Jack's mind flashed back to the 'Countrycide', as Owen had named it.

"What are you saying?"

"For a civilization on the brink of changing, there sure are a lot of close-minded people left. All they needed was a little prompting and some photos of you and your secretary." Jack's hand tightened all the way, and soon Owen and Gwen were pulling him off of her, her hands at her neck, trying to breathe. Owen bent down to help, and Gwen pushed Jack backwards towards the SUV.

"Jack, what did she mean? Jack!"

Jack watched as Owen lead Selinia towards the SUV, cuffing her and guiding her into the back seat. "She'll live," he called out as he slammed the door shut. "Jack, what the hell is going on!"

Jack took a deep breath and touched his earpiece. "Tosh, did you track the van?"

Tosh's voice crackled over the radio. "Yes, they've stopped at an abandoned farmhouse. It's three hours south from your position."

Three hours! Jack barked out orders. "Gwen, Owen, get into the SUV. Keep an eye on Selinia, if she moves, shoot her."

TW

Ianto kept his jaw clamped, stifling the screams trying to rise out of his lungs. He didn't know how long it had been and he started to think he didn't care. The first few minutes, he had managed to stay standing. Their blows to his chest and knees had knocked him to his knees after that. Now he was lying on the floor. He watched as each blow descended, the metal pipe descending over and over again, sending searing pain through his body. He'd tried to dodge them, but all he could do now was watch. Idiot had focused most of his attention on Ianto's chest, and Fat Man had only joined in once in a while, delivering a kick here and there. After a while, Ianto could tell that Idiot was getting tired. His blows slowed down and Ianto managed to smirk up at him. He knew it was a stupid thing to do, egging on his attackers, but at this point he'd stopped caring. He was fairly sure that he wasn't going to make it out of this alive, and he might as well go down swinging.

Idiot noticed the smirk and stopped mid-swing. Ianto coughed up blood, the smile still on his face. Idiot's rage took over, and he knelt beside Ianto, pressing the pipe against his neck. Ianto struggled to free himself, but only managed to move his body a few inches. His entire body shook with pain, there was nothing he could do. Fat Man put his hand on Idiot's shoulder, and Idiot responded to the touch. He stood up quickly, glancing at his companion. A smile spread across his face. "No, it won't be that quick, gay boy. I'll just have to get more creative." The two men left the basement, and Ianto could hear them stomping around upstairs. He sighed with relief that he'd at least have a few moments to himself. He needed to gather his courage. The seconds alone were too short. He heard the men descending the stairs and did his best to look unimpressed at the tools they had scavenged from upstairs. A few nails, a crowbar, some broken glass. Then he saw something that disturbed him more than the others. Fat Man came down the stairs last, carrying a wooden stick. The end of it was on fire, and Ianto saw the grin on his face. Fat Man liked fire. He approached Ianto's stiff form, not even stopping to allow Idiot a chance to join him. He put the piece of burning wood on the inside of Ianto's thigh, pressing it as hard as he could against the pants, burning through them. Ianto's mind filled with horror as he saw the fire spread, the fabric of his trousers catching on fire. For the first time since they'd started, he screamed. He screamed, and the man pulled the stick away, apparently surprised by the fact that he'd lit his victim on fire. Ianto managed to turn himself over, dousing the flames quickly, but not quickly enough. Fat Man laughed and reached down to rip off the remains of Ianto's shirt. He pressed the flames against his back and Ianto screamed again, wrenching his arms against the restraints. He heard Fat Man swear as he pulled the stick away, realizing that it was no longer burning.

Idiot took his chance, approaching Ianto and kneeling beside him. "Saw this in a movie once." He slit the strap holding Ianto's hands behind his back and wrenched one of his hands forward. Ianto would've been relieved had he been in better condition. At the moment he was too weak to resist anything the men did to him. Idiot pressed Ianto's hand against the dirt, palm down, placing one of his knees on it to pin it down. Ianto felt one of the bones splinter and he cried out. Idiot looked at him, a grin spreading across his face. "That's not even the best part." He reached down and using both hands, slowly pressed the nails they'd scavenged underneath each fingernail, one at a time. Ianto bucked, doing everything he could to escape. Even the fire hadn't been as bad as this. He screamed and swore. He couldn't contain the screams that rose to the surface. They broke through, pouring out of his body with every pressure the man kneeling on his hand applied.

"Stop! Please God stop!" Ianto couldn't keep the words in his chest. He was losing control and his captors knew it. Idiot glanced at Ianto, holding his gaze as he pressed a nail underneath his thumbnail. Ianto threatened and begged, but mostly he screamed. He couldn't control his voice any more. Soon he lost all control over his body and his eyes closed. The last thought that ran through his head had been _Thank God_. His head lolled to the side, and Ianto Jones was unconscious.

TW

Ianto jolted as he felt the freezing water. How long had he been out? He tried to move, but every inch of his body hurt. He realized that they weren't done with him yet. They'd revived him to continue their butchery.

"Thought we'd lost ya. Were you dreaming about your boyfriend?" Idiot's voice was beside him, close to his ear. "You were out for almost two hours."

Fat Man's voice was nervous. "Maybe we should go, I don't want to get caught."

"A few more minutes," Idiot ordered. He put his hand behind Ianto's head, pulling him up so he could whisper to him. "You can stop this." Ianto couldn't stop the sob that came to his throat. "Just say it, say we beat the fag out of you." Ianto slammed his mouth shut, but the sobs and tears didn't stop. "Come on now, just a few little words." Ianto saw Jack's face and he shook his head. No. Idiot grabbed one of the pieces of glass, shoving it deep into Ianto's shoulder. He screamed as the man moved the glass around, ripping and tearing at his flesh.

"Stop! Please stop!"

"Just a few words and I will." Ianto could barely hold on. He knew he was going to die, and that was the only thing giving him strength. These uneducated, in-bred fools wouldn't get their satisfaction from him. Ianto jerked his head. No. Fat Man was at his feet and Ianto screamed, trying to pull his feet back, away from the re-kindled piece of wood. He could smell his flesh cooking and passed out from the pain, the smell burning in his nostrils.

TW

"Jack, the van is pulling away from the Farmhouse." Tosh was tracking them on the satellite still.

"Ianto?"

"I can't be sure, but I don't believe he's with them. It's dawn now, and I'm fairly certain I only saw two people leave the house."

"How far away are we?"

"Ten minutes." Tosh's voice again. "Oh my God."

Jack couldn't help but snap at her. "What the hell is it?"

"Jack, it's on fire. The Farmhouse is on fire!"

Jack's foot hit the floor and the SUV accelerated, hurtling dangerously down the rough road. He avoided glancing into the rear view mirror, knowing that if he saw her face he'd probably kill her right now. Her voice sounded almost sincere when she spoke. "Hon, they're just a couple of baboons. They'll rough the kid up a bit, that's it."

Jack's eyes made contact with hers via the mirror, and the look Jack gave her would've silenced anyone. His voice almost broke. "They set the house on fire."

TW

_Thanks for reading, please review! Thanks again for all the reviews left so far, and I do try to reply to each one. My apologies if I missed anyone. Oh, and what do you think? Can Jack save our favorite Welshman? I certainly hope he does. I think Janto is adorable._


	6. Chapter 6

_Hello! Sorry about the terribly long delay. Real life got in the way of my Torchwood writing…the nerve! Oh, and Thanksgiving got in the way. Silly holidays. :P_

_I don't own Torchwood or its characters._

TW

They'd tried to stop him from going in, but he'd shoved past them, barreling through the blazing doorway, kicking it down. He had disappeared into the inferno ten minutes ago, and the fire was burning so hot they'd had to move away. The fire department was on the way, but everyone knew it was too late. There would be nothing left to save.

The two teammates stood watching, unable to do anything. Jack was the only one of them who had even the slightest chance of rescuing Ianto, but he'd been inside for too long. Gwen knelt on the ground, shielding her face from the heat with her hands. Owen had tried to pull her back, but she just knelt there, refusing to budge. They jumped when they saw the cellar doors crashing open. Jack stepped through, Ianto in his arms. He staggered towards them and Gwen grabbed a blanket from the back of the SUV. Jack's coat was on fire, blazing behind him as he stepped forward, faltered, and fell to his knees. He managed to shove Ianto forward, getting him as far away from the burning building as he could, before falling in a burning heap. Gwen had the blanket around him two seconds later, putting out the fire as quickly as she could. Owen had begun work on Ianto, but glanced up at her. She shook her head. Selinia tumbled out of the SUV, running towards Jack.

"He's dead?" Gwen looked up at her, surprised to see shock and grief in her face. Without a word, Gwen moved to help Owen. Selinia took Gwen's place beside Jack, peeling back the blanket and cringing at the burnt flesh beneath.

Owen's hands moved quickly, checking every inch of Ianto's body. "God, what did they do to him?" he whispered as he worked.

"What can I do?"

"Medical kit," Owen ordered sharply. He didn't have time for niceties. He was in Dr. Harper mode, and Gwen picked up on it quickly. She was back with the kit thirty seconds later. Owen worked for a few minutes, doing his best to patch him up for the trip to the hospital. Ianto was unconscious, and Owen held an oxygen mask to his mouth. "Help me get him up. We need to get him to hospital." Gwen nodded opening the door for him as he laid Ianto in the back seat. "I'll finish here, you two grab Jack."

Selinia was still kneeling beside Jack. She'd replaced the blanket covering him. She watched the doctor and the brunette loading Ianto into the back seat. She was in shock. This wasn't what was supposed to have happened. Just a couple bruises, maybe an over-night stay in the hospital. She'd underestimated these 21st-century humans. They had hate and malice in their hearts. "This wasn't supposed to happen," she whispered when the woman came near her.

Gwen snapped at her. "Well it did, and it's your fault. Now do something useful and help us get Jack into the back of the SUV." She nodded, still stunned. They didn't seem concerned for Jack at all, their only concern was getting their receptionist to the hospital. She helped her lift Jack and within a few minutes, he was hoisted into the back of the vehicle. Owen tossed the keys to Gwen, who quickly took her spot behind the wheel. Owen climbed into the back seat, kneeling on the floor behind the driver's seat, hands going over Ianto's body. He was searching for anything he'd missed before. Selinia reluctantly climbed into the passenger seat, and before the door had closed fully, Gwen had stepped on the gas pedal, speeding back the way they'd come.

TW

Air rushed in, grating over his lungs. He knew this feeling. He'd died again. That first breath was always the hardest. His body jerked, muscles reacting to the random nerve endings that fired away, making sure his body responded to their orders. Fire, that was what he remembered. Fire, and Ianto. He sat up, realizing he was in the back of the SUV. Owen's face peered over the back seat.

"Good to have you back."

"Ianto?"

"Working on him. We're on our way to hospital." Jack nodded, kneeling up and leaning over the back seat. He looked down at the wreck that was his Ianto, cringing at the sight beneath him. He looked up and saw Selinia in the passenger seat. She was turned around to look at him, and if circumstances had been different, he might've laughed at the look on her face. Shock, horror, wonder all played out across her face. Her lips moved but no sound came out.

Gwen's sharp voice cut in. "He can't die. Well he does, but he always comes back." Selinia recovered slightly and quirked an eyebrow at Jack.

"It's true." Jack ignored her while she composed herself, looking down at Ianto. He reached down and placed his hand lightly into Ianto's, glancing at Owen to make sure it was okay. His eyes covered Ianto's body, noticing every bruise, cut and burn that marred his perfect flesh. He didn't look up, but it was obvious who he was talking to when he spoke. "If he dies, I'll kill you."

Selinia couldn't keep the shudder from breaking through. "I know it doesn't help, but I really am sorry. I…I didn't think it would be this bad."

Jack cut her off. "That's just it, Selinia. You NEVER think."

TW

Everyone was crowded around the hospital waiting room. Ianto had been in surgery for hours now, and there hadn't been any word. Jack was pacing up and down the room. Gwen was asleep with her head on Rhys's lap, and Owen was keeping an eye on Selinia. Tosh walked in carrying coffees and a bag of sandwiches. Everyone but Jack accepted both gratefully, and Tosh made sure not to offer any to Selinia. Rhys had woken up Gwen, and she was digging into her sandwich.

A doctor walked into the room looking very tired. "Is Mr. Jones's family here?" They all stood up and looked at him expectantly. "Immediate family?" Jack knew that Ianto had a sister, but he didn't know how to contact her.

Owen cut in. "Ya, that's us." The doctor raised an eyebrow.

"All of you?"

"Ya, don't you see the bloody family resemblance? Now fucking tell us what's going on." Owen's people skills were definitely lacking.

"Alright, well, you all might want to sit." No one moved towards their seats, so he decided to continue. "Mr. Jones has been through a lot, but things are looking up. He's been out of surgery for a half hour now, and his vitals are stabilizing. He'll have a lot of recovery time, but he should be fine. There's only one thing I'm worried about. The bottom of his feet were burned badly, and it looks like there may be an infection. We won't know how bad it is until we've got some more x-rays. We've started him on antibiotics, but if the infection has reached the bones…well, it won't be good."

Jack managed to sound more in control than he felt. "Worst case scenario?"

"Amputation."

"Best case scenario?"

"He won't be walking for at least a month. And even after that, he'll be needing to take it easy."

"When can we see him?"

"He's heavily sedated, but you can go in if you'd like."

TW

The man laying on the bed in front of them was definitely Ianto, but he looked so different it scared them. He was ghostly pale, covered in bandages. His breathing was barely noticeable, his chest rising and falling ever so slightly. Jack slipped his hand into Ianto's and thought about the difference twenty-four hours could make. Yesterday morning Ianto had been getting dressed in Jack's bunker, health and strong. Now he was barely hanging on, monitors beeping all around him, tubes stuck into his arms and hands.

Tosh walked up behind Jack and put her hand on his arm, doing her best to offer comfort. Gwen and Rhys stood holding hands in the back of the room. Owen was checking over the chart and checking all the equipment thoroughly. Selinia stood by the window, arms folded across her chest, watching the traffic roaring by.

Jack turned to her. "Were you jealous?" His voice was accusing, and she turned to face him.

"No."

"Then why?"

"I've already said. I didn't realize it would be this bad. I really am sorry, Jack."

"You'll help us find who did this." It wasn't a question.

"Yes."

Jack took a deep breath, remembering that he needed to be in charge. He was the leader right now, not the…well, Jack had to be honest with himself. He wasn't sure exactly what he and Ianto were to each other. "Alright, everyone head home and get some sleep. It's nearly nine in the morning now, so just get some rest and I'll see you all at 8 tomorrow morning. Rhys, thanks for coming by." Owen glanced at Selinia and raised an eyebrow, causing Jack to sigh and shrug. "Selinia…I'll take you back to the Hub. You're getting locked up until we start the man hunt tomorrow."

"I said I was sorry!" He looked at her and instead of the anger she was expecting to see, she saw nothing but exhaustion. Exhaustion and sadness. She nodded. "Fine, fine. Who's staying with the secretary?"

Owen snapped at her. "It's Tea Boy." He turned and headed out, mumbling under his breath.

Jack bent and kissed Ianto's forehead. "I'll be back," he whispered quietly into Ianto's ear.

Tosh pulled up a chair and sat. "I'll just stay here until you get back. In case he wakes up, you know." Jack smiled at her appreciatively and stalked out towards the SUV.

An hour and a half later, Selinia was safely stowed away in one of the cells and Jack was back in the hospital room, relieving Toshiko. "Get some rest, Tosh. And thanks for watching him."

She nodded. "No problem, Jack. And you should get some rest too." He nodded, slipping his hand once again into Ianto's. He pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat, resting his head on the bed. He was asleep within seconds.

TW

_Alright, sorry again about the delay in posting! Hopefully I'll get more posted this weekend but no promises. That stupid Real Life keeps messing with me. Oh well. :P Please let me know what you think! Sorry it was such an uneventful chapter, and apologies if my medical jargon isn't very medical-jargon-y. But just know that if you do get an infection in your bone, the only way to remove it is to amputate. That part is most definitely true. (Unless there's been some medical break-through I'm unaware of.) No worries, though! We can't have a footless Ianto running around. (Get it? Running around? Footless? Well I thought it was funny!) Alright, I'll shut up. :P Please review, and feel free to yell at me for anything you'd like!_


	7. Chapter 7

_I don't own Torchwood or its characters. _

_Sorry for the long waiting time…I've had some difficulty writing this story. I think it's rubbish, but I'd best finish it anyway. Thanks to everyone for the reviews, hopefully you think differently about the story than I do! _

_NeddieSeagoon: As far as Gwen being too mean, I don't usually write her this way…it just fits the story. My apologies, and my plan is to bring the team together in following chapters. :P As far as Jack being nastier…well, I'll do my best. But no promises, I'm horrid at nasty Jack. Tosh? I find her difficult to write. Definitely a favorite character and I love Tosh stories, but I'm always afraid I'll screw it up. And thanks so much for your review, it was very helpful! I'll do my best to write Tosh in a bit more, but her character's so lovely I'd be afraid to mess it up terribly. :D_

_Pelowskin: I love fluff, but it may not happen for a couple chapters. The boys will have some issues to work out. :D Hang in there!_

**TW**

Ianto's eyes opened slowly. He felt numb and his vision was blurry, he could only make out a few shapes. He heard the beeping beside him and turned his head. "Hospital," he whispered. "Jack?" he called out as loudly as he could, flinching as he turned his head from side to side, scanning the room. No Jack. No anyone. Wonderful.

A nurse entered the room smiling. "Why Mr. Jones! You're awake! Just give me a minute and I'll call your friends." Ianto shook his head adamantly. "They'll want to know you're awake, Mr. Jones."

Ianto was trying to speak, and she bent down closer. "Not them…call sister. Rhi." She nodded.

"How do I contact your sister, love?" He glanced at the pen she was holding, and she grabbed a scrap of paper. "Alright, give me her number." He spoke the numbers quietly and she headed out of the room to call Rhiannon. Ianto wasn't sure why, but he didn't want to see anyone from Torchwood. Maybe he blamed them a little for not realizing he was gone, maybe he felt like an idiot for allowing himself to be captured. Either way, it would be nice to see Rhi, even if she decided to fuss over him constantly. Oh God, he thought to himself. Please, please don't bring Johnny. Ianto could put up with a lot from his sister, but he could never put up with her husband.

The nurse came back in and smiled at him. "She's on her way. Now you should get some more sleep, love. She'll probably be here by the time you wake up." She hesitated, looking worried. "Do you know what Torchwood is?" He nodded. "Well, they're refusing to allow the police in here. I can…well, if you'd like, I can get the police for you." He shook his head no and attempted to smile at her reassuringly. It probably came out more as a grimace, he thought to himself. "And if your friends show up, what would you like me to do?" He stared at her. "Should I keep them away?" Ianto thought for a minute then slowly shook his head. If they showed up, he might as well let them in. "Alright then, I've got to finish my rounds, but there should be people checking in on you a few times an hour." He nodded and shut his eyes, sleep overtaking him.

TW

Jack stepped quickly into the conference room, shutting the door behind him. "Alright, we're all here. So how do we find these guys?"

Everyone's eyes drifted towards Selinia and she folded her arms across her chest. "Oh good lord, they won't be difficult to find. I know where they live. Just give me a gun and I'll take care of it."

Tosh looked shocked, Owen looked like he was about to hand her a gun, Gwen frowned, and Jack's face was unreadable. He folded his arms across his chest, mimicking Selinia.

Gwen spoke first. "So, assuming they're at their homes, what exactly do we do with them? We can't just…Torchwood them. They're human beings, Jack!" Leave it to Gwen to point out the obvious.

"I know. Suggestions?"

Owen's voice was casual. "I say we 'Torchwood' them anyway." He shrugged and spun his pen around.

Tosh spoke next. "Why not hand them over to the police? I can create indisputable evidence, and they'll be locked up."

Everyone looked at Gwen next. She frowned. "I agree with Tosh."

Jack leaned back in his chair and shut his eyes. "Alright, we have a plan. Selinia, you'll come with me. Owen and Gwen will take the other guy. Tosh, you're coordinating." Tosh moved towards Selinia and handed her a sheet of paper.

"Addresses." Selinia nodded and scribbled them onto the paper. Everyone was about to leave but Gwen stopped them. "Jack, you need to tell us about Selinia. I'm not moving an inch until we get some sort of an explanation as to why we're trusting her."

Jack sighed and sat back down in his chair, the others quickly following suit. "Gwen, do we really have time for this?"

"I'm sorry Jack, but after Captain Hart, I'm sure we'd all prefer not to go in blind."

Jack scowled at her but she didn't budge. "Fine. What do you want to know?"

"She's your wife?"

"WAS my wife. It was more of a fling, really. Does it matter?"

Tosh's voice cut in. "She's a time agent?"

Selinia sounded irritated. "She's right here, you know." That earned her Tosh's 'I'm not amused' look.

"Yes, we joined the time agency around the same time. I was partnered with her and Hart for a few months."

"Months?" Owen raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. Then she got assigned someone else and it was just me and Hart. Anything else you'd like to know?" Jack was getting irritated. He missed the days when they knew nothing about him and they didn't have the courage to ask him this many questions.

Gwen huffed then looked at Selinia. "Why do you need the bracelet?"

Selinia laughed merrily. "I thought we'd been over this already. It's part of my plan for a heist. There's a particular piece of jewelry in a museum on Corirgens that's worth a lot of money. The bracelet would make it a hell of a lot easier to get inside." Everyone but Jack stared at her blankly. "Corirgens. It's a planet. Seriously, Jack, don't they know anything?"

"Twenty-first century, Sel."

"Oh, right."

TW

Owen kicked in the door and Gwen walked past him, gun drawn. He followed and they scanned each room, searching for any signs of life. They split up, Gwen heading towards the basement and Owen taking the second story. He'd just finished checking the rooms when he heard Gwen calling for him. A few seconds later he was by her side, staring down at a mutilated body.

Gwen reached up towards her earpiece. "Jack, we've got a problem."

"Doesn't seem like a problem to me," Owen mumbled.

Gwen explained about the body, verifying that the body matched the description Selinia had given them. Jack had found the other man in his flat, surrounded by blood. It looked like their deaths hadn't been quick.

Jack's voice came over everyone's earpieces. "Everyone head to the hospital. We don't know what's happening, and we need to make sure Ianto's safe."

TW

Ianto jerked awake, sensing another presence in the room. He kept his eyes shut for a moment, dreading the reunion with his sister. He'd never been much of a brother to her, only checking in with her for an evening every six months or so…less recently. She would probably be angry that the first time she'd heard from him in eight months was to let her know that he was hospitalized after a mugging. But she was his sister, and they loved each other, even after all the crap they'd been through.

He opened his eyes and scanned the room, his eyes resting finally on a dark figure in the corner. The shadows were dark, and his eyes were blurry. He didn't recognize him until he stepped forward, and when he did, Ianto reached toward the button to call the nurse.

"It's disconnected, Eye Candy." John Hart was standing beside the bed, arms folded across his chest and looking at Ianto with raised eyebrows. "How've you been?"

"Been better." Ianto's voice was raspy and quiet.

"I can see that. Ah well, Sel always did underestimate people."

"Why are you here?" Ianto was frustrated. His supposed friends were nowhere to be seen and he was alone in a room with John fucking Hart.

"Well, when Sel didn't show up to our rendezvous, I figured something went a little off the plan. So, here I am! You should be thanking me, anyway. Took care of those two buggers who did this to you." His face twisted into a rather disturbing smile. "Hey, don't take that as me caring. I just had some free time on my hands."

"Took care of them? Who's Sel?" Ianto was keeping his sentences short. Talking hurt his throat too much.

"Ya, they're dead. No need to thank me, I'm sure your team would've gotten around to it. And Sel's Selinia, Jack's wife." Ianto's eyebrow shot up. "Jealous?" Ianto rolled his eyes. "Ya, well, Jack moved on long before Selinia ever realized it. Gotta love jealous ex's." Eye roll again.

"Why are you here?"

"Been over that, Eye Candy."

"In my room."

"Oh, you don't want me here?" John pretended to look hurt. Eye roll. "Honestly? I figured Jack would be here. Where is everybody, by the way?" Shrug. "Ah, abandoned. Oh, I intercepted the call to your sister. Hope you don't mind, I didn't feel much like witnessing a family reunion. Haven't had enough to drink yet."

He was interrupted by Jack bursting into the room, quickly followed by the other three Torchwood members and Selinia. John put his hands up innocently and smiled. "Jack, Selinia! Nice to see you! And Tosh, looking beautiful as always." Tosh blushed but kept her gun trained on him. John kept talking as he worked his way around the bed to stand beside Selinia. "Well, looks like everybody's doing well. Well, except for Eye Candy. You should all keep a closer eye on him, really." He looked at Ianto who was watching him quietly. "Guessing you didn't notice he was gone until it was too late. They must've been busy." He winked at Ianto. "Oh, and you're welcome for taking out the two goons. Honestly, the rift must've been crazy active for me to be able to get to them first." The team glanced at each other. "No? Ah, I see then. I'm disappointed, Jack. Time was you would've tracked them down and did far worse than I gave them. Ready, Sel?" He glanced at her and she nodded, reaching forward and snatching the Appearance Manipulator from Jack's pocket. The two were gone in a flash of light and the team was left in stunned silence. They slowly holstered their guns and Jack stepped forward to stand beside Ianto's bed.

"You okay?" His voice was quiet. John's words had gotten to him. He should've done something sooner, he should've paid more attention. Ianto whispered something and Jack leaned in closer. Ianto took a deep breath and repeated the words.

"Get out."

**TW**

_I know, I know! I didn't throw Selinia off a cliff or into the rift or beat her up. I just let her go. But this isn't a Selinia/Jack story, it's a Jack/Ianto story. Very very sorry. I just needed someone to rattle things up a bit, and she fit the bill. _

_And I apologize if the chapter has mistakes…still no beta. :P_


	8. Chapter 8

**TW**

One Month Later

Dear Jack,

Thank you. I realize it must've been difficult to stay away, and I want to thank you for keeping your word to me and giving me time to sort things out.

I'm sure you've realized by now that I'm not coming back. Torchwood can carry on without me, as everyone has proven this last month. You, Jack, can carry on without me.

I could lie and tell you the usual breakup lines, it's not you, it's me, etc, etc. But frankly, Jack, we both know that's not true. It's not me, and it is you. I don't blame you, Jack. You're immortal, and you have to protect yourself. You've already lived through so many lifetimes, lost people you wish you hadn't. There's nothing anyone can say to make the pain you're forced to live through any less, and I'm truly sorry to add to it. But let's face it, Jack. We would never be able to grow old together, and I deserve more. You deserve more as well, but there's little that can be done on that front. I, however, can move on and find someone to spend my life with. Perhaps that is selfish, but I'm taking my queue from you. You didn't notice I was gone, Jack. Was that harsh? I'm sorry, Jack, I really am. But I promised you that I'd always be honest with you.

This has nothing to do with what the two men did to me, nor with why they did it. We both know that the world is filled with uneducated fools, Jack. It's time that we both admitted that we're among them. I fooled myself into believing that you truly loved me, and that you simply couldn't say it. But the truth is that you simply cared for me, nothing more. Go on living as you always have, Jack. Keep friends around you, they'll keep you sane. Try to find some happiness, Jack. I'm going to attempt to do the same. I can't say I won't miss you, as that would be a blatant lie. But I will move on eventually, and wish you to do the same. You've had practice at it, Jack, and this won't destroy you. Nothing could ever destroy you.

Tell the others that I won't be coming back, give them my apologies. Especially Tosh. And Jack, whatever you do, don't take it out on them.

With sincerest regret,

Ianto Jones


End file.
